Method and apparatus for humidifying and purifying the air of a room

Abstract

An apparatus for humidifying and purifying the air of a room. The apparatus has a water supply tank with a cover in which is mounted a motor. Disposed on the motor shaft is a fan wheel for generating a flow of air through the housing, a fan wheel for cooling the motor, and a pump tube. When the pump tube is rotated, it delivers a stream of liquid that leaves the pump tube as a free, sheet-like swirl of water through which the air flow is positively guided. Consequently, the air flowing through the swirl of water is purified and humidified.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for humidifying and purifying the air of a room, said apparatus comprising: a housing that includes air inlet means and air outlet means, with a lower part of said housing being embodied as a trough-like part that has a base and that serves for holding a liquid, with a free space being formed in said housing above the surface of liquid therein;   first fan wheel means disposed in said housing for generating an air flow therethrough;   pump means disposed in said housing for producing a liquid flow therewithin;   means disposed in said housing and cooperating with said pump means to receive therefrom said liquid flow, and to form from the latter a freely forming sheet-like stream of liquid in said free space above said liquid level, with said air inlet means cooperating with said free space in such a way that said air flow generated by said first fan wheel means is directed completely through said sheet-like stream of liquid, with said air outlet means being disposed downstream of the latter;   said pump means including a rotor which has an axis of rotation and is in the form of a conical tube that tapers downwardly in the direction toward said trough base and has a liquid inlet opening disposed above said trough base and below said liquid level, with said pump rotor tube, above said liquid level, being provided with cooperating means, which includes approximately radially directed discharge channels for said sheet-like stream of liquid, which is in the form of a swirl of liquid, with said discharge channels opening into said free space and being disposed in a star-like manner about said axis of rotation of said rotor tube and approximately at right angles thereto, said discharge channels furthermore being disposed below said air outlet means in such a way that the latter can be completely shielded from said swirl of liquid;   said cover having an underside on which is disposed a circumferential rib for laterally delimiting the stream range of all of said discharge channels and extending to a location in a level between said discharge channels and said liquid level;   said air outlet means, when viewed from above, being disposed inwardly of said circumferential rib;   said air inlet means, when viewed from above, being disposed in said cover outwardly of said circumferential rib and adjacent thereto;   said rotor tube having an upper end remote from said trough base; and which includes, as part of said cooperating means, a member that surrounds said upper end of said rotor tube and is rigidly connected to the latter, with said member being spaced from said rotor tube in such a way as to form, as a further part of said cooperating means, an annular channel that from said upper end of said rotor tube runs downwardly and outwardly opening into said discharge channels;   said cooperating means further including an annular disk on the outer surface of said rotor tube, said disk being disposed below said member that is riqidly connected to said rotor tube, and being spaced from said member to form a horizontally, extending gap, with said discharge channels being formed by said gap and by ribs that interrupt said gap and interconnect said member and said annular disk; and   a second fan wheel means disposed on said drive shaft of said motor for cooling the latter, with said first fan wheel means, said second fan wheel means, and said rotor tube all being embodied as a single component, said first fan wheel means being coaxially disposed about said second fan wheel means, with said first and second fan wheel means being connected to said rotor tube via said member that surrounds the latter, said discharge channels being located below said first and second fan wheel means.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said pump means includes a rotor which has an axis of rotation and is in the form of a conical tube that tapers downwardly in the direction toward said trough base and has a liquid inlet opening disposed above said trough base and below said liquid level, with said pump rotor tube, above said liquid level, being provided with said cooperating means, which includes approximately radially directed discharge channels for said sheet-like stream of liquid, which is in the form of a swirl of liquid, with said discharge channels opening into said free space and being disposed in a starlike manner about said axis of rotation of said rotor tube and approximately at right angles thereto, said discharge channels furthermore being disposed below said air outlet means in such a way that the latter can be completely blocked off from said swirl of liquid. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which said housing is a two-part housing, including said lower trough-like part, and a cover placed thereon, with said air inlet and outlet means being opening means in said cover; and which includes an air filter disposed in said cover, downstream of said air inlet means and upstream of said free space, for preliminary purification of said air flow. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus according to claim 3, in which said pump means includes a drive motor that is disposed in said cover and has a drive shaft on which are seated said first fan wheel means, and therebelow said rotor tube; and in which said air outlet means is disposed annularly about said drive motor. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which a drop separator is disposed in said housing, in the path of said air flow, upstream of said of said air outlet means and downstream of said swirl of liquid. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus according to claim 5, in which said housing is provided with liquid inlet and outlet means. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus according to claim 6, in which said housing is provided with a liquid level indicator. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus according to claim 5, in which said air outlet means is provided with guide surface means to impart a laminar discharge to said air flow. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus according to claim 4, which includes a second fan wheel means disposed on said drive shaft of said motor for cooling the latter. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which said housing is provided with a control and adjustment device, and a cooperating indicator, for maintaining presettable parameters. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which said housing has smooth inner surfaces. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which said cover has an underside on which is disposed a circumferential rib for laterally delimiting the stream range of all of said discharge channels. 
     
     
       13. An apparatus according to claim 12, in which said air outlet means, when viewed from above, is disposed inwardly of said circumferential rib. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus according to claim 13, in which said air inlet means, when viewed from above, is disposed in said cover outwardly of said circumferential rib and adjacent thereto. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which said rotor tube has an upper end remote from said trough base; and which includes, as part of said cooperating means, a member that surrounds said upper end of said rotor tube and is rigidly connected to the latter, with said member being spaced from said rotor tube in such a way as to form as a further part of said cooperating means, an annular channel that from said upper end of said rotor tube runs downwardly and outwardly, opening into said discharge channels. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus according to claim 15, in which said cooperating means further includes an annular disk on the outer surface of said rotor tube, said disk being disposed below said member that is rigidly connected to said rotor tube, and being spaced from said member to form a horizontally extending gap, with said discharge channels being formed by said gap and by ribs that interrupt said gap and interconnect said member and said annular disk. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus according to claim 16, which includes a second fan wheel means disposed on said drive shaft of said motor for cooling the latter, with said first fan wheel means, said second fan wheel means, and said rotor tube are all embodied as a single component. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus according to claim 17, in which said first fan wheel means is coaxially disposed about said second fan wheel means, with said first and second fan wheel means being connected to said rotor tube via said member that surrounds the latter. 
     
     
       19. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conical tube has a diameter that increases from top to bottom so that said annular channel is formed therewith relative to said cooperating means including said member spaced therefrom, said conical tube extending upwardly to within said second fan wheel means where said conical tube ends at a distance from said annular disk. 
     
     
       20. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said annular disk has a downwardly directed, hollow cylindrical part with which said annular disk as well as said first and second fan wheel means and said conical tube that are fixedly connected thereto are nonrotatably connected to said drive shaft of said motor. 
     
     
       21. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cooperating means includes a further annular disk connected to a bottom of an approximately hollow cylindrical part on an outside thereof and radially extending ribs interconnected to said annular disks so that said discharge channels are formed between said disks. 
     
     
       22. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of fan blades are disposed radially relative to the axis of rotation and that form said second fan wheel means located between an inner hollow cylindrical part, said further annular disk and an outer hollow cylindrical part.